Inclusive
by Amarissia
Summary: The story of Cloud's entrance into Zack and Sephiroth's relationship. M for language, yaoi, Hojo's presence and the fact that Cloud is fifteen.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a prequel to "Decorum", but it stands alone easily. This is the first half. How soon the second half appears depends on the response and how well my typing fingers hold up. This is fast becoming a series...I already have another one written too, heh. _

Memories and thoughts in italics._

* * *

_

**INCLUSIVE  
**_Part 1_

Instructor Zane was a slight man, tall and wiry, and offered observers an impression of penetrating insight rather than brute strength. Though not the intimidating figure that one might expect of a 1st Class SOLDIER, Zane was a legendary fighter, nearly as well known for his magic and summon skills as Sephiroth was for his sword prowess, at least in the world that revolved around ShinRa. It was said that the general himself had convinced Zane to leave the field and begin teaching, because his talent was too great to be risked in battle. Such a compliment from such a man was enough for anyone to happily obey, and three years earlier Zane had taken the post of Materia Class Instructor, doing his job faithfully though he occasionally felt insecure among the large-framed, burly teachers of the other cadet classes.

It didn't help that the teenaged cadets often snickered at first sight of the instructor who resembled a librarian more than a warrior. At the risk of making his inferiority complex obvious, Zane began the first lesson of each term by tackling a student and wrestling him to the ground, which usually shut the little bastards up. (This practice had also led to a series of interviews with SOLDIER's resident psychiatrist as well, and an unfortunate nickname, but that was neither here nor there.)

Zane was half-Wutaian and had the ninja skills of his mother's people, and therefore he could take care of himself entirely without magic, thank you very much! Tseng of the Turks referred to him with a phrase in Old Wutainese that Zane told everyone meant "he who kills with bare hands". In truth, it was roughly "man who likes chocobos a little too much, if you get what I mean", but hardly anyone spoke Old Wutainese anymore, and besides, Tseng was a bastard.

The students were getting restless. Zane remembered the materia in his hand and the demonstration he was supposed to be giving, and coughed for attention.

"Transform Materia is among the most difficult to master. Who can tell me why?"

"Because it's useless and no one bothers?"

Zane glared at Cadet Lindley, though mostly out of habit as he wasn't absolutely certain who had spoken. Still, if Lindley hadn't uttered _that_ smart-ass remark he was probably thinking one up, and every good SOLDIER knows the value of a pre-emptive strike.

"_No_. Because Mini and Toad are subtle magics, and the bumbling morons who make up this military organization do not understand subtlety because it cannot be bench-pressed or waved about like a caveman's club!"

A few frowns from among the twenty or so cadets, but no real surprise. Instructor Zane had his normal days and his on-edge days. The normal days, they assumed, must be the ones without classes.

"Now," Zane continued, "who would like to help me demonstrate?"

"Better not pick Strife," said Cadet Nido, who wouldn't look out of character with a caveman club himself. "If he gets any smaller we won't be able to see him at all."

Cadet Strife scowled, but he was much too polite and quiet to respond. Zane was quite fond of the well-mannered boy, though like all the other instructors he had to be careful not to let this show.

"Why don't you let the instructor cast Toad on you, Nido?" Cadet Chang spoke up, smirking. "Might improve your looks."

"What's wrong, Lieutenant Fair's Pet, you need your boyfriend to defend you? Your _other_ boyfriend, I mean?"

Now Strife was getting angry; the pencil he held snapped in two in his hand. Insinuations about himself and Zack were Nido's favorite weapons and they always hurt, mostly because Cloud wasn't sure _what_ he and Zack had become. But the implication was always that Zack was favoring him and that Cloud was using his Gaia-damned prettiness (which he hated at times like he hated Nido) to get ahead of his fellow cadets unfairly, and this made his face flush and his hands shake with rage.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Nido."

"Really? Then how come you look like I struck a nerve?"

"Enough," Zane said sternly. "You are ShinRa SOLDIER candidates, not kindergarteners, and I will not tolerate slandering of a 1st Class SOLDIER in my classroom. Understood, Nido?"

"Yes, sir," Nido said in a sulking voice. He admired the 1st Classes like they all did and apparently hadn't thought that he had been bad-mouthing Lieutenant Fair as well as Cloud. He liked the lieutenant more than anyone guessed, which was why he bothered Strife so much.

He glanced at Cloud, and a hot rage filled his head - the weak little pretty boy was smiling!

_You like seeing me get in trouble, do ya, you little bitch?_ Nido fumed, digging his nails into the seat of his chair. _You think you're so special 'cause you're Lieutenant Fair's butt-boy, and probably the general's too...I'll get you, you'll see._

While Nido silently vented and Cloud continued daydreaming about Zack's handsome face and perfect smile, Instructor Zane fumbled in his desk for a Heal Materia. It wasn't much good against headaches, but the pretty color was so soothing to look at.

* * *

Zack couldn't repress his trademark grin as he cheerfully strolled the hallways, heading for the third floor of Building A, the smallest of the four that surrounded the Main Quad. Where he was headed and what he'd just found out had put even more of a bounce in his usual springy step, and the executives and SOLDIERs he passed couldn't help but smile back as he greeted them. Lt. Fair, so unlike the other, gruff 1st Classes, had an enthusiasm that was hard to resist. One of the few downsides to this cheer was that it made Zack forget his behavior could occasionally cause problems for other people. Also, if love makes one stupid, Zack being able to tie his own shoelaces was indeed the miracle Angeal had once jokingly proclaimed it to be.

Zack had always been a big-hearted person, able to love in many directions all at once, but he had never felt quite this level of giddiness. The newer love was as powerful as his love for Sephiroth, which was amazing and unexpected, but different in other ways. For Sephiroth he felt a warm, steady stream of something that bordered on worship, but was much closer and personal. Zack was able to tone this feeling down in public and did so, because Sephiroth liked to keep his private life private and insisted on this, though the relationship between them was not a secret. On duty and in the presence of others, they displayed only a close and amusing friendship that still maintained a certain amount of distance, as was only proper for a superior and subordinate. Behind closed doors, Zack was allowed to pounce and pull and rip without being scolded, and he never minded having to wait, because anything was worth Sephiroth's slight smile and nude angel's body close to his.

They were in love, they agreed. Well, Zack said he was in love. Sephiroth had hesitantly begun a (quite adorable, Zack thought) monologue about being distracted from his work when Zack sat too close, and a rising of body temperature that appeared connected to Zack's proximity, and an increased heart rate in Zack's presence that Hojo said -

"Fuck whatever Hojo says," Zack had said gently, feeling touched and protective to see Sephiroth look so vulnerable, and had pressed his lips to the general's cool fingers. "This isn't scientific. It's human, and it's good."

Sephiroth had smiled and assented, relieved that Zack understood him so well. Having been raised by Hojo to feel isolated and incomprehensible to anyone but the obsessive doctor himself, Sephiroth had an innate reluctance to give himself over completely to anyone. That was, principally, why he and Zack also agreed they were not exclusive. The whole reasoning for this was complicated. Zack knew Sephiroth didn't understand a lot about the way relationships work between people and didn't want to fence him in with rules. Sephiroth, who the mad doctor considered his property, was insecure about belonging to one person and afraid he would do something wrong if he did. Zack was afraid that if their relationship became more focused and intense, and something happened to break it, they would lose the friendship that they'd originally had. Sephiroth was concerned that Hojo might meddle if he ever came to believe it was not a casual, friends-with-benefits arrangement.

Even Sephiroth looked perplexed when they tried to reason it out. In a year of being together, he had not felt attracted to anyone else, and neither had Zack. They both felt something was missing, and decided to let time take care of it, whatever it was. Several months ago, time had swept something new into Zack's life, and he still wasn't sure what to make of it or what it might mean to Sephiroth and him. He did know it was very hard not to skip or turn cartwheels or shriek like a schoolgirl.

Cloud had come into his world out of nowhere, like he'd dropped out of a clear blue sky, Zack thought with a smile. A new class of cadets had entered the SOLDIER program, Zack went to speak some encouragement to them as he always did, his eyes fell on one who was trying to hide how nervous he was, and Zack was lost. There was something in Cloud's wide eyes and shy smile that made him want to laugh and cry and everything else all at once, and seconds into their first conversation, Zack knew he could not go another day without this boy in his life.

What followed was a period of what could, probably, technically be labeled stalking. Cloud seemed to like him immediately, but was so formal and anxious at first, and Zack didn't want to overwhelm the poor kid, or scare him off, or embarass him, but he couldn't keep himself at any kind of cautious distance. He couldn't help hugging Cloud and ruffling his adorable spiky hair and grinning at him like an idiot.

To his credit, Cloud realized quickly that Zack couldn't help these things, and liked him enough to accept it all without much complaint. He knew Zack did try to be normal with him in public, but it had been odd for him, and still was, to an extent. In Nibelheim Cloud had been considered weird and was virtually shunned; upon his joining ShinRa he'd been immediately and enthusiastically adopted by a 1st Class SOLDIER whom everyone spoke of with respect. In Zack's company, Cloud constantly found himself wavering between joy and bewilderment. What on the planet could Zack see in him that made him so happy?

_He has no idea_, Zack thought as he approached Instructor Zane's classroom. _How can he have no idea how perfect he is?_

He wanted to ask, if only to prompt the absolutely precious way Cloud looked when he was embarassed - blushing, eyes averting, arms gathering close to his body as if he were trying to fold himself out of sight. But the more urgent question was what Cloud was feeling right now. One week ago, the internal voice in Zack that said nothing but "Don't scare him, don't scare him" had shut up for a single moment, just long enough for Zack to fearlessly lean forward and kiss Cloud. Very gently, very chastely, but Cloud had frozen, and the fear that had evaporated from Zack returned in something that was better suited to the name 'ass-clenching terror'.

He had drawn back and tried to laugh it off, mussing Cloud's hair and saying he was sorry, that Cloud was just too damn cute for his own good. Cloud had looked at him with those enormous blue eyes full of something sad and vulnerable. He tried to turn away then, so Zack had cupped his face in his hands and tried to re-establish eye contact.

_"Spiky? Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out."_

_"You...didn't."_

_"I did, I completely traumatized you, I can tell."_

_"You're an idiot," Cloud mumbled quietly, in the fond way he always said it. "I'm not a baby."_

_"I know. Oh, Gaia - "_

_"It's fine."_

_"It's not fine, you're crying," Zack said miserably, and did the only thing he could think of._

_"I'm not. Zack, you're squeezing too tight."_

_"Was that your first one?" Cloud shifted a little in his embrace and didn't answer. "I'm an asshole."_

_"Would you stop!" It was the loudest Zack had ever heard Cloud speak, at least in anger, and he was shocked enough to let go when Cloud pulled away. "If you think I'm some sort of baby, then why did you do it?"_

_"Cloud." Zack's voice was amazed, and Cloud's face screwed up like he was really about to start bawling. "Hey..."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"I like it when you get annoyed with me," Zack said, and he did, because it meant Cloud was comfortable with him as a friend rather than as a superior officer. "But if you're not really mad, what's wrong?"_

_"Why did you do it?"_

_"I don't know."_

_Cloud wiped his eyes roughly. "You have to know."_

_"I wanted to."_

_"And you're sorry?"_

_Zack hesitated. "Yeah. That I upset you."_

_"Only that?"_

_"I don't want to freak you out."_

_"Can we..." Cloud looked at the cushions of the couch they were sitting on. "Can we not talk about this yet?"_

_"Okay, but we will talk about it, right?" Cloud nodded, and Zack brushed his hand down over the spikes and let it settle on the back of Cloud's neck, hoping this was okay. "We're friends, right?"_

For a week now Cloud had been asking for more time, and Zack could no longer stand the awkwardness. Everything had to be cleared up tonight, so fun could be had tomorrow. Tomorrow, the two most important people in his life would meet. He knew Cloud looked up to Sephiroth and always went white with terror when Zack mentioned introducing them, but that, too, could be put off no longer.

_By tomorrow night, the world will make sense again_, Zack thought cheerfully as he knocked on the classroom door and strolled in. It wasn't until Cloud's eyes fixed on him and widened in horror that Zack remembered that pulling Cloud out of class to spend time with him, whatever the excuse, fell under the category of special treatment, which Cloud didn't want. It also didn't endear him to many of the other cadets, who were already jealous of Cloud's grades and skill.

Cadet Chang winced and whispered to Cloud, "Want me to create a diversion so you can grab an Exit Materia?"

"Lieutenant Fair. Can I help you?"

"Uh..." Zack quickly tore his eyes from Cloud and grinned nervously. "Er, I think I left a...magazine...in here?"

"I haven't seen it. When was this?" Zane asked patiently, though not without annoyance. Zack Fair, however capable, was only twenty, too young in his opinion to be a 1st Class, and any personal liking he had for Zack was always slightly diminished by that.

"Um." Zack had not had any reason to be in this classroom since he was a cadet himself, and Zane knew it. "About four years ago?"

Someone near the back snickered; several smiled. Lieutenant Fair was almost universally liked among the cadets as the SOLDIER who encouraged more than threatened and joked more than punished. Only Nido and his friend Burton were scowling.

"Uh, you mind if I maybe just check around my old desk, just in case?"

Zane was holding a green orb of materia to his head and casting a steady stream of Esuna, for reasons best known to himself. "If you like."

Waving amiably to the students, Zack made his way to Cloud's desk, to the surprise of absolutely no one. As he pretended to look around the floor he whispered, "Can you come by around seven tonight?"

Cloud nodded as subtly as he could, loving Zack no less but fervently wishing the planet would open up and swallow them both.

Zack grinned, straightened up and headed back toward the door. "Guess it's gone. Thanks, Instructor."

"Not at all, Lieutenant."

"You squirts be good for Instructor Zany - er, Zane!" Zack said, wincing at his slip.

Zane's eyes narrowed, but he could hardly go ninja on a fellow SOLDIER in the presence of cadets. Several of the little bastards snickered; even polite Strife gave Zack a fond smile, which he eagerly returned. Nido didn't miss this, and it pushed him over the jealous ledge he'd been walking.

"Chicken-hawk," he said, softly but quite loud enough for mako-enhanced hearing.

Zack, who had turned to the door, froze and slowly turned back.

Cadet Burton, much more loyal than he was bright, added, in a stronger voice, "Heh, you mean chocobo-hawk."

Nido had regretted his comment even as he said it, but this remorse dissolved in favor of a return to anger. It wasn't that Lieutenant Fair looked so cold and stern - it was that he first, instinctively, looked at Strife so gently, with such concern. By the time his eyes found Nido, they were burning with a pale green fire.

"Cadets!" Zane said roughly. "Lieutenant, I apologize. Assign any punishment you see fit and I'll ensure they complete it."

Zack smiled, this time in a way that reminded them all that a dangerous fighter lurked behind the pleasant, innocent face. "Your students are a reflection of you, Instructor. I leave this in your more than capable hands."

Once the lieutenant had gone, Zane no longer had to hold back the fury from his expression, and the room's temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. Zack was a kid at heart, true, but he was no fool. Zane's pride and reputation had just been insulted as surely as Zack had been, and the way he was gnashing his teeth and not blinking did not seem to bode well.

"I will have you know," he said, a muscle in his jaw twitching, "that the chocobo is a very noble animal and should not be mentioned in the same breath as the common chicken!"

Somehow, that didn't come out as threatening as it was meant to. Twenty or so pairs of eyes blinked at him in confusion, as the class tried to decide if they should be afraid or disturbed. Even Strife looked alarmed. Damn it, this was sure to get back to Dr. Murakai and his theory about unhealthy obsessions. Well, first Zane would regain the fearful respect he so prized and craved.

"Nido, Burton, front and center. I think it's time you all see up close the effects of a magic I like to call...Ultima."

The two cadets obeyed with a satisfactory level of gulping and shaking in their boots. The rest would remember this the next time any of them thought of embarassing their teacher in front of a fellow SOLDIER. And Strife would be satisfied and have no reason to complain to Lieutenant Fair that said instructor was allowing him to be harassed, not that Strife would do that anyway, because he was a nice boy, with a head of hair that reminded Zane of a chocobo and made him smile and feel a bit tingly as well, to be perfectly honest.

Then again, maybe checking in with Dr. Murakai wouldn't hurt.

* * *

The knot in Cloud's stomach tightened as seven o'clock approached and he began to make his way to the 1st Class floors of Building C. He expected it to continue to get worse in Zack's presence, but the moment Zack opened the apartment door and grinned at him, Cloud felt his tension mysteriously diminish. Zack had a way of making problems stop existing for a while, apparently even when he himself was the source of a problem.

Zack was even more thrilled to see Cloud than he had expected to be, because he had briefly forgotten it was a Friday night, and weekends meant he got to see Cloud in civilian clothes. Which Zack loved, because the absence of uniforms helped him forget that they were both part of an organization whose members faced the possibility of death every day. Zack had thrown on a "Mako happens" T-shirt and sweatpants, and Cloud was wearing jeans and a shirt the same sky-blue as his eyes. Dressed normally, Cloud looked like anyone's little brother.

_He was gonna be mine._ Zack pushed aside the nervous thought and waved Cloud inside.

"I ordered pizza. Shouldn't be too long."

"You wanted to talk?" Cloud asked, looking at the carpet.

Zack sighed, and tugged him over to the couch that was now, for both of them, a reminder of the moment that had made this awkwardness. "C'mon, sit with me. We need to fix this, Spiky. I'm worried."

"You didn't freak me out," Cloud said right away. "You don't need to be sorry for that."

"Are you sure?"

The boy nodded, still not looking at him. "Were you sorry for any other reason?"

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Why did you do it?" A silent pause. "Zack?"

"The voice is advising me not to answer."

"Voice?"

Zack laughed uneasily. "The little nagging one in my head that tells me not to scare you, no matter what."

"I could never be scared of you," Cloud said softly.

"What if I kissed you again?"

Cloud looked at him at last, surprised but remaining still. "Are you going to?"

"Can I?"

The blond's eyes followed his hand, which came to rest on Zack's knee. He felt Zack close the distance between them rather than saw it, and his lips parted in a wordless sigh as they were captured. His hands found Zack's shoulders and squeezed them, and Zack understood, pulling Cloud closer and closer until they were pressed up against each other. They stopped only for air, and Zack grinned into the wide blue eyes. Too wide. And filling with tears.

"Oh, shit."

Cloud seemed angry at himself. He hated crying and preferred to do it alone if he couldn't hold it back altogether, and he furiously scolded himself mentally for giving Zack further reasons to be overprotective. And guilty, if he was reading that anguished expression correctly. He could hardly insist he wasn't a baby when it was a struggle to keep from sobbing.

He wanted to wiggle out of the hug, but Zack's arms were too strong, and too wonderful and warm to be wrapped in. At least now Cloud could hide his face against Zack's shoulder, though it was too late to pretend nothing was wrong. To his relief, Zack bit back the hysterical apologies on the tip of his tongue and said nothing for a few minutes. He was invoking his right as the only person allowed to pet Cloud's hair, knowing from experience that doing this seemed to make them both feel better.

"Spiky, if I were a really bad kisser, you'd tell me, right?"

Cloud's laugh came out as a whimper. "You're not bad at anything."

"What about being a friend?"

"Especially not that."

"I guess I'm good at molesting underage cadets, if nothing else." Cloud drew back to slap him on the head. "Ow! Seriously, you could report me."

"Then you better not tempt me."

"Cloud. If you're not upset with me, what are you upset about?"

"Because I don't understand," the cadet said in frustration. "I don't know why you're doing this."

"Because I love you. Oh, shit."

"I'm not crying," Cloud insisted, more a command to himself than a reassurance for Zack, though it was a lie either way.

"If I promise not to do it again, we can still be friends, right? Please?"

"I thought...you were with the general."

Zack looked confused. "I am."

"Then why are you doing this to me? It was hard enough before you started kissing me, and now - " Cloud kept from crying harder, but it was a struggle. "If we can only be friends, I don't want to be friends who do that. It's not enough."

Zack stared at him, as hopeful as he had ever been about anything. "You weren't sorry about the kisses, were you?"

"Duh."

"I kinda thought you still had a thing for Sephiroth."

Cloud turned slightly pink, wishing again that Zack had never figured that out. "I do, I just...it's confusing."

"But you like me too?"

"Duh."

Zack made a shrieking noise and moved in to kiss him, pouting when Cloud dodged him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not helping you cheat on the general," Cloud said, with a hint of genuine anger.

"Spiky, we're not exclusive."

"It still doesn't feel right."

Zack scratched his head thoughtfully. "What if he says it's okay?"

"_What_?"

"The thing I wanted to tell you is that Seph has some time off tomorrow, so I want us three to do something together."

Cloud froze. "Zack..."

"I know, but you've got to meet him sometime. And he actually asked to! Do you have any idea how rare it is for Sephiroth to _want_ to meet anyone? I was, like, just staring at him and he was like, 'Zack, you're drooling on my desk' and I was - "

"He wants to meet me?" Cloud echoed, looking even more terrified.

"Apparently I never shut up about you and he's curious. Look, he knows you're nervous about talking to him - "

"Zack!"

" - and I think he really wants to put you at ease about that. I promise, he's different off-duty. Not a whole lot, but enough. C'mon, it'll be here, in a place you're used to, and I'll be right there the whole time. I'm gonna make dinner and we'll all hang out for awhile, nothing stressful."

"You have fire extinguishers in the kitchen, right?"

Zack grinned. It was a running joke between them. Cloud had been shocked that not only could Zack cook, he was good at it, as his hyper energy and unreliable attention span led one to believe Zack should not be trusted with fire.

"Is that a yes?"

"If you promise not to kiss me or do anything like that in front of him."

"Okay...but seriously, he probably wouldn't mind. Seph is weird like that. Sometimes I'd swear he's not human. He'd probably want to watch and study our behavior and ask a bunch of hilarious questions. Or maybe join in. Man, that would be hot."

Zack's eyes were starting to glaze over. Cloud hid his face in his hands and tried very hard not to picture such a situation, lest he end up with a similar dreamy expression.

"Aw, c'mon, Cloudy, wouldn't it be hot?"

"If you can call me passing out in terror hot."

"Heh, the voice is advising me not to answer." Zack tickled Cloud's side lightly, and the boy squirmed away. "You're too adorable, you know that? Can I kiss you again?"

"No!"

"What if Seph says it's okay?"

"You're not asking him!"

"Let me kiss you and I won't yet."

"This is sexual harassment," Cloud grumbled, but he smiled. "Fine, once."

_Ding!_

"Answer the door first."

Zack Fair was a frequent customer of Midgar's Pizza Palace, and he was on a first-name basis with all the delivery guys. It was Roger tonight, who could always count on Lieutenant Fair for a cheerful greeting and a good tip. But tonight Zack seemed to be in a hurry, and after a dizzying flurry of movement Roger was left with a handful of twenty-Gil bills and the odd experience of having just been bear-hugged by a 1st Class SOLDIER.

* * *

_Let me know what you think so far!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! I hope this is a worthy reward for the short wait since Part 1. Square Enix owns all the eye candy blah, yaoish stuff ahead blah blah, Cloud is jailbait blah blah blah, which wouldn't deter me either. Heh heh._

**INCLUSIVE  
**_Part 2_

Sephiroth's office was a shrine to order. Not merely clean, though the maintenance staff took special care with it, but so well-organized that it unnerved visitors (who were usually already in a panic about facing Sephiroth). Every piece of furniture and all the few decorative touches were perfectly centered in their places. The books were organized by subject and then alphabetically. The pens were arranged in a straight line with their labels all facing the same way. It was not that Sephiroth was obsessive about any of this, or not much at least; it was merely his nature to be precise in all things.

Zack didn't like this room, he said it was too neat and impersonal. The last time he'd been left alone in here, Sephiroth had returned to find his standard black computer screensaver replaced with two puppies chasing butterflies through a field. Had he not had a reputation to protect, the general might have considered keeping the new screensaver, because the puppies reminded him of Zack.

_Angeal was particularly apt in his choice of nicknames_, Sephiroth remembered. Angeal was the only person besides Zack he had ever allowed to call him 'Seph'.

Zack's old mentor and Sephiroth's close friend had been dead over a year; one of his last acts had been to give their relationship his blessing. It felt strange to remember Angeal now and feel a continuing regret, even all this time afterward, that he was gone. Maybe it had something to do with how devastated Zack had been. The night of the funeral was the only time Sephiroth had ever seen him cry with more than quiet tears.

Crying was one of the many things that, Sephiroth observed, everyone seemed to understand but himself. The act appeared to be unpleasant to experience as well as undignified, and caused one embarassment, but Zack insisted it made one feel better as well.

_"How can it make you feel better?" Sephiroth asked as Zack blew his nose. "Your breathing seems to be impaired."_

_Zack laughed into a clean tissue. "Let me use an analogy you're familiar with. Needles hurt going in, don't they?"_

_In Sephiroth's experience that depended on the size, but he nodded._

_"They hurt coming out too, right? But which feels better?"_

_"The withdrawl," the general said after a moment's thought, "because the worst of it is over."_

_"Exactly."_

Zack had a reputation for being a tad scatterbrained, but he also had an intuitive understanding of people and emotions Sephiroth lacked, and a willingness to explain these things. Sephiroth smiled. He would do just about anything for Zack. Why else was he staying in the office late to finish up work he'd planned to do tomorrow? Usually it wasn't such a big deal that the general allowed himself so little free time - their duties kept Sephiroth and Zack in almost constant contact, and Zack spent the night in his apartment at least three times a week. But this introduction to his cadet friend was very important to Zack, and anything important to Zack was worth re-scheduling a few hours.

Then there was Sephiroth's own curiosity. Zack was friendly to subordinates as a rule, but he had never taken such an interest in anyone before, much less a first-year cadet. It was oddly endearing to hear him babble on about Cloud Strife, who was reportedly the most adorable kid who ever existed. Sephiroth's interaction with cadets was almost non-existent, but he had heard some positive things about Strife, including that he was at the top of his class. Zack had confirmed this with a tone of pride in his voice, and Sephiroth was reminded of the way Angeal had spoken of Zack when he was a cadet. Angeal had, of course, been calmer and more dignified in his praise, but still, it was like a circle returning to its beginning point. Zack had become the mentor himself now.

_Is that all it is?_ Sephiroth wondered if he should be jealous of Zack's liking for Cadet Strife. He couldn't summon up any feeling but a desire to see Zack happy.

A knock sounded at the office door.

"Enter."

Lieutenant Donnelly opened the door just enough to stick his head in. He was one of the older 1st Classes, a good SOLDIER but not exceptional in any way, and prone to blaming his lack of advancement on the unfairness of superiors rather than his own mediocre efforts. Donnelly always had a sullen expression and a scheming nature that made him unpopular except among a few like-minded, lower-ranked officers, and Sephiroth did not like him. He suspected this had a lot to do with Donnelly's obvious dislike for Zack, a younger and more respected SOLDIER.

"Sorry to bother you so late, sir, but a cadet wants to report something in private before lights-out. Can we use the outer room?"

"Yes, that's fine."

The outer room was a combination of a waiting area and an office for Sephiroth's assistant, Levine. (Zack took a rather malicious delight in referring to the young man as a secretary.) This room, too, was kept in an intimidating state of neatness, because Levine - a failed SOLDIER but a genius at organization - took his job as seriously as he took everything else. He was proud to work so closely with the famous general and inclined to be somewhat protective, letting no one near the inner office without the general's express permission.

Once, Tseng of the Turks had in great haste tried to go directly into Sephiroth's office and gotten stunned by a fax machine to the head. The Turk, fond of bestowing names, gave Levine one that he claimed meant "the general's defender", but Sephiroth knew was more like "man who attacks with the ferocity of a grapefruit".

(Very few people knew that Sephiroth could speak Old Wutainese. Hojo liked to mumble threats in it, so he had learned in order to have some warning about what he could expect.)

It seemed odd to Sephiroth that Donnelly would choose the outer office to hear a cadet's report if privacy was a concern. As a 1st Class, Donnelly would know better than most how superior Sephiroth's senses were, even compared to other SOLDIERs. Alas for Sephiroth and his defficiency in the understanding of human nature - he did not consider the possibility that this may have been precisely the SOLDIER's intention.

_zsczsczsc_

Donnelly and Nido smirked at each other as they began the rehearsed conversation. If Sephiroth had known Nido half as well as he knew Donnelly, even, he would not have been surprised that these two gravitated toward each other. Just as good SOLDIERs learned to help and support one another, bad apples tended to cluster and take part in each other's intrigues. As Sephiroth was not good at unriddling people, the task of overseeing the human aspect of SOLDIER fell to Lazard, the introspective and insightful executive who served as a liaison between SOLDIER and ShinRa. Lazard had not, by this time, had much occasion to deal with Donnelly, who was clever enough to scheme in subtle ways, or Nido, who was of course only a cadet. But even Lazard might have frowned at the sight of these two together, though he couldn't know they shared an ever-increasing anger toward Zack Fair.

"What's the problem, Cadet?"

"I hesitate to bring it up, sir. I'm not sure it's official SOLDIER business."

"If you're concerned about something enough to tell me, you must think it's serious."

"It's Cadet Strife, sir," Nido said, smiling coldly. "He's been saying some disrespectful things."

"That's for his superiors to deal with. Why is it your concern?"

"That's just it, sir. The instructors are afraid to reprimand him because they all know he's Lieutenant Fair's pet. I don't mean to be a tattle-tale, sir, but I'm disturbed by what Strife has been saying."

"Such as?" Lieutenant Donnelly's smile reflected Nido's.

"He says he and Lieutenant Fair are...involved sexually, sir. But that's not the worst of it."

"Cadet, you are accusing a highly-respected 1st Class SOLDIER of being involved with an underage subordinate, and that's not the worst?" They both left a long, dramatic pause, during which it was hard on both their parts not to laugh. "It's all right, son, you can tell me."

"Well, a lot of cadets sort of...really like the general, you know?"

"Yes," Donnelly laughed, "I am aware of that."

"Strife does too, and I heard him say he's just using Lieutenant Fair to try to get to the general. Maybe it's not my business, sir, but that doesn't seem like conduct becoming of a SOLDIER."

"I agree, but without proof of any wrong-doing, I can't reprimand Cadet Strife, and unless you have evidence of inappropriate conduct on Lieutenant Fair's part, there's every chance Strife was merely lying."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, I just wasn't sure what to do."

"Thank you for telling me, Cadet. I'll look into this matter further, I assure you."

Donnelly did not know Sephiroth well and Nido didn't know him at all, which may explain why they looked so satisfied with themselves as they parted ways. Both were making the mistake of expecting Sephiroth to act as they themselves would - to feel betrayed and angry, to push Lt. Fair out of his life and punish Cadet Strife for his interference and presumption.

Sephiroth remained at his desk for a little while after they were gone, gazing at nothing with a thoughtful expression. What Donnelly and Nido had spoken about sounded nothing at all like Zack, and (from what Sephiroth had heard) nothing at all like Cloud Strife either. If Zack were having intimate relations with someone else he would not hide it, and he often complained that Strife wouldn't accept any special treatment from him, though he always did this with a proud smile. Strife may very well have a crush on the famous general - Sephiroth knew many did and tended to ignore such things - but every other element of Nido's story seemed implausible.

Still, if there was any chance that Cadet Strife was using Zack in that way, Sephiroth resolved, he would put a stop to it. He would talk to Zack, who was much better at reading people and comprehending their motives. Not tonight, however. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

"Let the evil of the day be sufficient," Dr. Gast had used to say, the general remembered from his childhood. Usually the phrase occurred to Sephiroth when he was able to leave Hojo's presence, but it seemed to work in this situation too.

_zsczsczsc_

Sephiroth had planned to leave his office at 2 p.m. for a short break and use that time to speak to Zack. He knew Zack would've just gotten back from a morning of patrol in Midgar, and liked to see his face first thing whenever he returned from a mission. It was eerily unfortunate that at 1:45, an apologetic Levine buzzed Sephiroth's office with unwelcome news - Dr. Hojo was on Line One.

Swallowing a wave of embarassing trepidation, Sephiroth picked up the phone and hoped he'd misheard Levine, that no one would be there. "Yes?"

"Report to the lab," the chilling, hated voice said, speaking the order with a casualness its owner often feigned. "I need to run some tests."

"Must it be now, Doctor?" Sephiroth could never make his tone as stern as he wanted to with Hojo, who was (though he would not admit it) the one human being who caused him fear. "I have a meeting with Director Lazard at three."

"Yes, yes, don't worry, I've cancelled it for you."

The general dug his nails painfully into the arm of his chair, but said nothing. Dr. Hojo, as the one in charge of not only the SOLDIER mako regimen but Sephiroth's health in general, did have the authority to rearrange his schedule for medical reasons. ShinRa gave him this power because the general was far too valuable to them to risk losing him; either they didn't know or didn't care that time spent in the lab usually made Sephiroth feel worse, not better.

"Are you listening, Sephiroth?" Hojo's voice softened, though not with anything close to sincerity. "You know it's all for your own good, my boy. Right? Right?"

"Yes, Doctor," the general said quietly. He didn't know, but he couldn't risk disbelieving Hojo on this point.

"I expect you to come directly."

"Yes, Doctor."

Sephiroth hung up the phone and gloomily left the office, loathing this feeling of powerlessness and wishing he'd t least gotten to see Zack first.

_zsczsczsc_

Hojo always cleared the lab when Sephiroth was there, rarely allowing even a single assistant to remain. Despite being preoccupied with research and having a staff to whom he could delegate minor tasks, no one but the chief scientist himself was permitted even to take Sephiroth's vitals. Whatever Hojo claimed about being concerned and not trusting the general to any lesser skill than his own, it was quite obvious that his motives were those of possession, not kindness.

Sephiroth hated the lab with a passion. He hated that his feet still hung above the floor when he sat on this examining table. He hated the cold hands that moved his limbs like puppet strings still, though he had for many years been old enough to follow instructions. He hated the apparent fascination with which Hojo regarded him and the fact that he could never bring himself to object to the doctor's actions. Most of all, perhaps, he hated when Hojo talked to him during examinations.

"Your temperature is one degree above normal. Have you been experiencing any symptoms?"

"No."

Hojo found another thermometer and handed it to Sephiroth. The general held back an annoyed sigh and obediently put it under his tongue while the scientist took his pulse.

"You seem stressed, my boy." Hojo smiled as he felt the muscles in Sephiroth's arm tense; it was a detested nickname. "Something wrong?"

The general knew from experience that talking would only invalidate the temperature reading. He shook his head.

"Good. I thought perhaps you might be troubled by all those rumors flying around about Lieutenant Fair. I hear he's taken quite an interest in a young cadet."

Hojo studied Sephiroth's eyes carefully as they stared past him. "I suppose it's only to be expected. Lieutenant Fair is quite a spirited young man. He needs someone who can love him."

The general carefully controlled his breathing and reminded himself that Hojo knew nothing about what existed between him and Zack. Behind his stony expression, however, was a fierce desire to crush the clammy fingers that held his wrist.

"There's a great difference between admiration and love, Sephiroth. Many admire you, but no one could love you. Even the ones who want you, when they get close enough, see nothing in you but death. No one can love what they don't understand, and no one will ever understand you."

Hojo smiled - he thought he saw a flicker of fear in the silver eyes. "I tell you this for your own sake, you know. It's better you accept the truth about what people really want from you. Lieutenant Fair proves my point. He got what he wanted, and now he's moving on. Well, at least you didn't love him. You aren't capable of that."

Sephiroth's blood felt hot, like it was burning his veins the way mako sometimes did. _Don't show anger_, he told himself. _Don't let him know the truth._

Hojo observed his prized subject with interest as he removed the thermometer and made some hasty notes on a chart. There was something so satisfying in the lack of expression on that face, especially when he suspected that Sephiroth was suppressing anger. It was exhilirating to be the one person the famous Sephiroth did not dare defy, to wield that kind of power.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want Fair to love you anyway. A good general wouldn't risk breaking the heart of one of his men."

Sephiroth's head inclined in a barely perceptible nod. Hojo felt a pleasant rush as he inserted a needle and began to draw a blood sample. Sephiroth spoke up the minute he withdrew it.

"Will that be all, Doctor?"

"Well, I am a bit worried. Your pulse rate is elevated and the last temperature reading was even higher than the first. I think I should keep you under observation for a few hours."

_No!_ Hands curling into fists, Sephiroth spoke as calmly and disinterestedly as he could. "I assure you, I am fine."

"You're quite certain?"

It felt like a trap, but there was no other option. "Yes."

"Very good. Then you should be up to a little test. I want to see what effects the improved mako solution has on your body's ability to heal."

"I have things to attend to," Sephiroth said, with as much firmness as he could manage. "Can it not wait?"

"I suppose it could wait," Hojo said in a low, deadly voice. "But for how long, my boy? Do you really think it wise to delay?"

Hojo's eyes were cold, almost reptilian, and they held Sephiroth in a light more mechanical than the stark white lights of the laboratory. Sephiroth's own stare, enough to drive other men to tears or shaking, was not strong against the eyes that had been watching him unceasingly since he was a baby. Hojo knew weaknesses that the best Sense materia could not detect, and he used them without pity.

"Very well."

"Wise decision. Lie back now, this won't take long." Hojo briefly patted the general's silver hair, something even he rarely dared to do. "This is for your own good."

Perhaps; that was at least what Sephiroth had been brought up to believe. But with that slippery, slimy tone of voice, Hojo might as well have said, "You are an inhuman monster and you deserve this." To Sephiroth, there was no difference.

_zsczsczsc_

"Would you stop pacing and relax? Trust me, there's nothing to worry about."

The kitchen was connected to the living room in Zack's apartment, so nothing obstructed the slightly panicked glare Cloud shot at him. Zack grinned back. He felt kind of bad for putting Cloud through this, but even when annoyed, the kid was too cute.

"Well, maybe if you'd let me help, I'd have something to distract myself with."

"I've got it all under control, Spiky. You just sit down and look pretty." Another glare. Zack grinned again. "Have some of that wine I put out, that'll settle you down."

"I'm not old enough."

"You're also not old enough for what I'd like to do to you on that coffee table," Zack said cheerfully. "If we're going to hell, we might as well do it plastered."

"I don't know why they let you around the cadets at all," Cloud grumbled, continuing his frantic pacing.

Zack was making a spicy Gongagan pasta dish that both his dinner guests were very fond of. He had made it so many times that he was able to do it virtually without thought, which was fortunate, because his attention kept wandering away to the clock. Quarter after six. Sephiroth was fifteen minutes late. He was never late.

Stirring the boiling pot of noodles with one hand, Zack grabbed his phone with the other and dialed Sephiroth's cell number. No answer after six rings, and Sephiroth always kept his phone on him. A tightening feeling began in Zack's chest. Something was wrong.

"Hey, Spiky."

"Yeah?"

"You still want to help? Okay, keep stirring these until that timer goes off, then put that lid on the pot and turn the heat down to low. Can you do that?"

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. I won't be long."

Zack smiled at Cloud's concern with an optimism he didn't honestly feel, ruffled Cloud's hair and headed toward the door, dialing Levine's phone as he went. Halfway to the elevator he stopped to listen, turned pale, and broke into a run.

_zsczsczsc_

Cloud did as Zack asked and returned to the living room, forcing himself to sit down. He still felt anxious, though for a different reason now. Sephiroth had not shown up, and Zack had seemed alarmed by this. Could something have happened to the general? That seemed unlikely. Sephiroth was...Sephiroth. Cloud had trouble picturing him injured or unwell, but the idea that he might be made the cadet's stomach begin to knot.

The apartment door opened, and Cloud froze. Two pairs of footsteps were approaching from the entrance, very slowly, and two voices preceded them.

" - not saying _you_ have to kill him, I'm saying you ought to let me!" Zack, and he sounded really upset.

"I cannot allow that either, I'm afraid," a low, weary voice answered.

"For Gaia's sake, _why_?"

"I told you, I have reasons. Zack, I can walk unaided."

"Try it and I'll kick your ass, _sir_."

Cloud stood as they came into sight, and his mouth dropped open. The great General Sephiroth, his idol, was being held up and gently drawn forward by Zack. His default expression of stern neutrality had been swept away by what seemed to be pain and exhaustion, and as Zack carefully slipped off the general's long coat, Cloud saw that the white shirt beneath was scarlet with dried blood.

"This wasn't the introduction I had in mind," Zack said, "but Cloud, this is General Sephiroth. Seph, Cadet Cloud Strife."

In a daze, his heart pounding, Cloud saluted without thinking about it, but he couldn't make a sound.

Sephiroth chuckled weakly and inclined his head. "A pleasure. At ease, Cadet."

"Wh-what happened?" Cloud stammered as Zack sat Sephiroth down on the couch.

"A lunatic with a chemistry set happened," Zack said bitterly. "Fucking Hojo, someone ought to cut _him_ up and see how _he_ - "

"Zackary, that's enough. You are scaring the boy."

Cloud's eyes were wide and his expression one of mingled horror and worry. His gaze was still fixed on Sephiroth. He couldn't turn away though he knew it was probably impolite, he was too shocked and dismayed to see the invincible Sephiroth in this condition. Shocking too was the gentle, reassuring smile his hero was giving him.

"What you see is not the experience of other SOLDIERs, Strife," Sephiroth told him, but the cadet continued to look terrified.

"Is there...can I do something to help?" Cloud asked, his voice wavering.

"Actually, there is." Zack grabbed a sheet of paper and began to scribble something on it. "Take this note to Apartment G on the twentieth floor. A man with a dark ponytail will answer the door. He'll give you a FullCure Materia. If he asks for a password, tell him to go fuck himself."

"_What_?"

"That's the password. 'Go fuck yourself.'"

Cloud had gone pale, but he readily took the note and hurried off, throwing another frightened look at his idol as he went.

"I doubt a FullCure is necessary."

"Have some respect for the panic I'm feeling, would ya?" Zack took Sephiroth's hand gently, as though fearing to hurt him further. "This is sick. What he's doing to you is wrong."

"I have been hurt worse. What he does to my body is of no importance. What matters is that I remember he does not know me as well as he supposes or own me as he believes he does. As long as I know you love me, he cannot destroy the part of me I value most," Sephiroth said tiredly.

"You're very eloquent when I'm pissing my pants."

"Zack, do you know a cadet named Nido?"

The lieutenant scowled. "Only enough to know he's a little shit. He harasses Cloud and tells everyone Cloud's sleeping with me in exchange for special treatment. Why?"

Sephiroth related the conversation he'd heard between Nido and Lieutenant Donnelly. Zack shook his head in disbelief.

"That's the biggest pile of bullshit I've ever heard, and I've spent time with Reno."

"That's what I thought. So none of it is true?"

"Well." Zack looked uncomfortable. "Spiky's gonna kill me."

Sephiroth smirked. "I doubt that."

"You don't know him. Seriously, don't ever piss that kid off. He looks sweet, but he's dangerous." Zack sighed. "Better to get everything clear. He does have a crush on you."

Zack had expected no response to this or a resigned shrug; the general was used to such feelings from subordinates. To his surprise, Sephiroth smiled. The expression was peaceful, amazed...happy?

_I wonder..._

"Seph, I've got feelings for Cloud too. I don't love you any less, believe me, but...I can't really explain it. He's just amazing."

"And beautiful."

"You think so?"

"How could anyone not?" Sephiroth said. The same gentleness remained in his eyes. It was not quite the amused, fond look so frequently directed at Zack, but it seemed to come from a similar place. "What does the boy feel for you?"

"He likes us both, but he won't let me touch him unless you say it's okay," Zack said with a grin. "He says he won't help me cheat on you."

"As general, I cannot authorize a 1st Class SOLDIER to be intimate with a fifteen-year-old cadet. But you have my unofficial permission as a private person."

"Seph, you think maybe...Cloud is what's been missing?"

Sephiroth looked serious now, even sad. "I do think so. But the morality of it aside, he is obviously intimidated by me. I don't want to overwhelm him with such a proposition. I could not be sure whether his consent would be genuine. And such a relationship would be dangerous if found out. Hojo, ShinRa, my enemies, his classmates...this would give them all reason to harm him and I cannot bear the thought - "

"Whoa, Seph! Don't try to solve this with logic. Talk to him a little first, see if he's receptive - which he will be, bet you anything - and we'll go from there."

Sephiroth nodded; Zack had never seen his eyes hold gentleness for so long. Cloud rushed in just at that moment and hurriedly put a green orb into his hands.

"Great! No problems with Tseng?"

"No, he was nice."

"Did he give you a nickname?" Sephiroth asked, watching Cloud with a smile.

"Um, yes, sir." Cloud hesitantly pronounced a phrase of Old Wutainese. "He said it means 'cadet who bravely puts up with Zack'."

"Spiky, can you grab the Mythril Armlet from my closet?" The second Cloud was gone, he looked at Sephiroth, who was frowning. "The real meaning?"

"'Jailbait, but definitely worth it.' We may have to kill him."

"Or at least give him a nickname of his own. How do you say 'Turk with severed penis'?"

Cloud returned before Sephiroth had a chance to answer. He nervously moved to Sephiroth's other side and hovered, biting his lower lip. Zack slotted the FullCure Materia into the armlet, slipped it on and directed the spell. The green light from the orb surrounded the general and absorbed into him, but it caused no visible change.

"Why isn't it working?" Cloud cried, not caring that he sounded slightly hysterical.

"It's all right, Cadet. Sit down." He paused until Cloud obeyed. "For reasons we don't know, the effects of restorative magic on me are delayed. I assure you, in a short time I will be completely healed."

"Have some wine in the meantime." Zack poured two glasses, one for each of them. "You think you can eat, Seph? Wait, I don't care, you're gonna anyway. Spiky, can you keep General Drama Queen company while I finish dinner? Thanks!"

Zack cheerfully dashed into the kitchen. Cloud watched him go with shock that he spoke that way to the general's face, but Sephiroth only laughed.

"Don't worry, Cloud. Were I not inclined to be lenient with Zack he would have been dishonorably discharged years ago. I may call you Cloud?"

"Yes, sir, of course. Um, sir..." The blond took a deep breath, like he was expecting to be reprimanded for his next question. "Are you really going to be okay?"

"I promise. I realize it must be disconcerting for you to see me this way, but I have suffered far worse at Hojo's hands and no doubt will again."

To his astonishment, the cadet's lovely blue eyes filled with tears. He seemed heartbroken, and despite the aching all through his body, it took all of Sephiroth's considerable restraint to not wrap his arms around Cloud. The boy seemed too upset even to care that he was crying in front of his hero.

"Cloud, what is wrong?"

"Why does he do that to you? He shouldn't be allowed to hurt you. No one should."

Sephiroth remembered what Zack had once explained - that crying is a release, it makes you feel better - and wondered if he should let Cloud do it. But Zack also said to trust feelings in matters of the heart, and his heart was bleeding to see Cloud holding back sobs. Hardly noticing the pain that was just now diminishing, Sephiroth gently took the sad face in his hands and brushed away the tears with his fingers. Cloud gasped softly at the touch, but leaned into it.

"I don't know why he does. There are so many things I don't understand."

One hand descended to the nape of Cloud's neck, the other to his back, and they drew him closer until their chests pressed against one another and Cloud's head came to rest against Sephiroth's shoulder. Cloud made a few more gasps, but he slowly put his arms around the larger body and instinctively snuggled closer as Sephiroth embraced him. Someone other than Zack was stroking his hair, but it still felt nice, and safe.

"You are capable of so much feeling," Sephiroth whispered in his ear. "No wonder Zack worries for you."

"I care about Zack."

"And for me as well?"

Cloud nodded, and Sephiroth felt a pleasurable shiver at this movement. Having the boy so close brought up many emotions, some chaste and protective, others not so much. He pressed a gentle kiss to the blond's cheek and received a contented sigh in return.

"I feel for you what Zack does. Do you object to this?"

"Gaia, no." Cloud pulled himself tighter against Sephiroth. "But does Zack - "

"Don't worry about Zack," laughed a familiar voice. "Damn, this is hot. Didn't I tell you it would be, Spiky, us three together? I love being right."

Zack settled behind Cloud and put his arms around them both. "Mmm, I was gonna tell you the pasta's ready, but a Cloud sandwich sounds even more appetizing. You okay with this, baby?" he asked the boy softly.

"It feels right."

"See, Seph? Logic is overrated. Feelings are the way to go. By the way, I'm ahead of you by a couple of kisses. What do ya say, Spiky, should we give Seph a chance to catch up?"

Zack slipped his hand under Cloud's chin and lifted his head, stroking Cloud's cheek as Sephiroth kissed him, going slowly to keep from frightening him. Cloud melted willingly into the kiss, eager but also grateful that the general took the time to warm him up before teasing his mouth open. Zack's hand found its way to Sephiroth's face and fingered the silver hair, and nuzzled Cloud's neck to press his lips there.

"Easy, Zack," Sephiroth cautioned at length, catching the lieutenant's hands as they began to descend Cloud's body. "You're going a bit too fast, I believe."

Cloud had indeed begun to tense up; almost unbelievably, Sephiroth noticed before Zack did. Zack quickly hugged them and grinned at Sephiroth, who smiled back.

"Hey, _you're_ the one he's gonna have to get used to, Seph. I think we're off to a good start, though, huh?"

Cloud shyly drew back a little from the general, enough to look at Zack. "I'm not...coming between you, am I?"

"Gaia, I hope so. Fuck, that would be hot."

The blond's face flushed pink. "You know what I mean."

Sephiroth's arms gently drew Cloud back to his chest, where no trace of Hojo's scalpel had been left behind. Zack squeezed as close as he could without crushing the boy, and decided to let Sephiroth answer. Zack knew him well enough to know what he was feeling - that he now had a new strength, another Hojo could not touch.

"We do, Cloud, and you are not. You are what we have been waiting for."

_The End_

_Let me know what you thought! More of this series to come - I already have another written. It'll go up when my fingers can get it typed, though I do need to focus on "Not Like This". Next chapter of that the second I can, promise! Thanks for reading!_


End file.
